Vietri sul Mare is the first (or last) town of the Amalfi Coast, sitting at the eastern gateway where the SS163 coast road begins its serpentine journey west toward Amalfi and Positano. The town is famous for one thing: ceramics. Vietri has been producing hand-painted majolica since the 15th century, and the tradition is visible everywhere: street signs are ceramic tiles, church domes are tiled in green and yellow, restaurant tables are ceramic, public benches are tiled, and over 40 artisan workshops line the roads producing plates, vases, tiles, and decorative objects painted with the signature Vietri motifs — fish, donkeys, lemons, birds, geometric patterns in blues, yellows, and greens. The Duomo of San Giovanni Battista, with its iconic green-and-yellow majolica dome visible from the coast road, is the symbol of the town. Amalfi Coast →
Plan my Amalfi Coast trip →Ceramica Artistica Solimene (Via Madonna degli Angeli): The most famous workshop — the building itself (designed by Paolo Soleri, 1954) is a landmark of Italian mid-century architecture. Museo della Ceramica: In the Villa Guariglia — historical Vietri ceramics from the 17th century to the present, including the distinctive "periodo tedesco" (1920s-40s, when German artists living in Vietri influenced the style). €3. The workshops: Ceramica Pinto, Ceramiche di Vietri, Lucio Santoriello — all along Via Costiera and the old town. Prices: A hand-painted dinner plate €15-40, a set of 6 espresso cups €40-80, large decorative plates €50-200. Shipping: Most shops offer international shipping (fragile goods, well-packed).
Getting there: SITA bus from Salerno (10min — the coast road starts here). Train to Vietri-Molina station (15min from Salerno). By car: 5min from Salerno. Stay: €55-100/night (cheapest gateway to the Amalfi Coast). Eat: La Ripa (waterfront — €25-40), 34 da Lucia (€20-30 — traditional). Combine with: Cetara (10min — colatura), Minori (20min — Sal De Riso), Amalfi Coast (the road west), Salerno (10min — medieval centro, museum).